God Will get Your Attention
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Handout
Numbers 22:22-35
Numbers 22:22-35
22 Then God’s anger was aroused because he went, and the Angel of the Lord took His stand in the way as an adversary against him. And he was riding on his donkey, and his two servants were with him. 23 Now the donkey saw the Angel of the Lord standing in the way with His drawn sword in His hand, and the donkey turned aside out of the way and went into the field. So Balaam struck the donkey to turn her back onto the road. 24 Then the Angel of the Lord stood in a narrow path between the vineyards, with a wall on this side and a wall on that side. 25 And when the donkey saw the Angel of the Lord, she pushed herself against the wall and crushed Balaam’s foot against the wall; so he struck her again. 26 Then the Angel of the Lord went further, and stood in a narrow place where there was no way to turn either to the right hand or to the left. 27 And when the donkey saw the Angel of the Lord, she lay down under Balaam; so Balaam’s anger was aroused, and he struck the donkey with his staff.
28 Then the Lord opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?”
29 And Balaam said to the donkey, “Because you have abused me. I wish there were a sword in my hand, for now I would kill you!”
30 So the donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your donkey on which you have ridden, ever since I became yours, to this day? Was I ever disposed to do this to you?”
And he said, “No.”
31 Then the Lord opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the Angel of the Lord standing in the way with His drawn sword in His hand; and he bowed his head and fell flat on his face. 32 And the Angel of the Lord said to him, “Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out to stand against you, because your way is perverse before Me. 33 The donkey saw Me and turned aside from Me these three times. If she had not turned aside from Me, surely I would also have killed you by now, and let her live.”
34 And Balaam said to the Angel of the Lord, “I have sinned, for I did not know You stood in the way against me. Now therefore, if it displeases You, I will turn back.”
35 Then the Angel of the Lord said to Balaam, “Go with the men, but only the word that I speak to you, that you shall speak.” So Balaam went with the princes of Balak.
1) Who is Balaam?
1) Who is Balaam?
Balaam was a “non Jewish” prophet.
He is sometimes referred to as the “last prophet to the nations”
He was from the area of Pethor.
Pethor was approximately 400 miles north from moab, in Mesopotamia.
This would have been about a 4 week journey one way.
The messengers of Moab would have made this journey 4 times during the story of Balaam.
Resulting in over 1,600 miles of travel!
Balaam in mentioned several other times in the new testament.
Some commentaries call Balaam “The Seer”
This is just another name for a prophet.
2) Why was Balaam summoned too Moab?
2) Why was Balaam summoned too Moab?
In Numbers 22:1-3 Isreal was on the doorsteps of Moab and Moab was afraid of being beaten by the Israelites.
1 Then the children of Israel moved, and camped in the plains of Moab on the side of the Jordan across from Jericho.
2 Now Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites. 3 And Moab was exceedingly afraid of the people because they were many, and Moab was sick with dread because of the children of Israel.
King Balak sent for Balaam in Numbers 22:5-6 so that Balaam would curse the Israelites to that Moab would win the battle.
3) Why was Gods anger aroused when Balaam went to Moab?
3) Why was Gods anger aroused when Balaam went to Moab?
20 And God came to Balaam at night and said to him, “If the men come to call you, rise and go with them; but only the word which I speak to you—that you shall do.” 21 So Balaam rose in the morning, saddled his donkey, and went with the princes of Moab.
22 Then God’s anger was aroused because he went, and the Angel of the Lord took His stand in the way as an adversary against him. And he was riding on his donkey, and his two servants were with him.
Numbers 22:32 says that Balaam’s ways where perverse before God.
32 And the Angel of the Lord said to him, “Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out to stand against you, because your way is perverse before Me.
Balaam’s thoughts and intentions where not of God .
This is likely why he couldn’t see the angel that was in front of him.
When God opened Balaam’s eyes he was opening his “spiritual” eyes.
Revealing the nature of his thoughts and intentions. while also allowing him to see the angel.
4) Has God been trying to get your attention?
4) Has God been trying to get your attention?
Jeremiah 29:11 Says that God has specific plans for our lives.
11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.
Its very easy for us to get our plans ahead of God’s instead of seeking the will of God in our life
When God gives you His plan for your life you need to follow that plan no matter how difficult things get and how many friends you loose.
Sometimes God can get our attention by small things. While other times He has to use drastic measures to capture our attentions.